A Home For You To Return To
by jillybellys
Summary: Leave it to Magnus to still be surprising Julia long after her death. As she waits in the astral plane for her husband, things and people keep popping into her afterlife. She's got soooo many questions to ask that man when he finally shows up in the afterlife.


It all started on the day he appeared.

He was not the 'he' Julia had been waiting for.

But he was familiar, she had seen him drift in and out of the astral plane many a time. She knew he wasn't like her, or the rest of them. But he was a presence, usually gently escorting new souls into this plane of existence.

So when Kravitz appeared from the murky darkness that made up the plane, Julia was not too surprised. Though she was curios. "Can I um help you?" She asked tilting her head a little bit.

The astral plane was a strange place. Time passed slowly, if it really was passing at all. She wasn't entirely sure. Days moved in a haze, she talked to people, basically the entirety of her home town was over on this side of existence with her, she never wanted for company. (Though the person she really wanted, still wasn't here.)

And that was fine. That was good. She didn't want him to show up yet.

But, knowing Magnus, she didn't really expect she would be waiting too much longer.

Kravitz gave a little cough, straightened out his black suit and sheathed his scythe for the time being. "You're Julia yes?"

Julia nodded. "The one and only." She smiled. "Well, probably not only. I'm sure there are other people named Julia, but I'm the only Julia thats well… me."

The reaper sighed. "Right, Julia Burnsides from Ravens Roost?"

"The very same." Julia nodded.

"Then I wont keep you long-" The man said. "But I just ran into your husband, and loath as I am to let a man go who has died nineteen times and yet to even come to this plane- sorry sorry, I'm getting off topic. Regardless, he asked me to pass on a message."

Julia's train of thought came to a swift end, before a cacophony of questions burst from her lips. "Magnus? You saw Magnus? Is he dead? Wait 19 times? How? Why isn't he here? What did he say-"

Kravitz only sighed again. "I should not have lead with that." he shook his head. "Right, in order; yes Magnus. Yes I saw him, well fought with him, then maybe tried to reap his soul, then maybe had to not do that and instead stop a giant outbreak of souls in which he and his friends aided me, he is not currently dead. I'm not entirely sure how, I really wish I knew the answer to that myself. He isn't here because well we made a bit of an exchange, though I told him and his party should they even think about dying one more time their asses are soooo mine." He huffed before pausing. His eyes darted to hers. "As for his message… he simply said 'tell Julia I love her.'"

Even on the astral plane, you still have a heart. And Julia for a moment, felt hers stop beating.

"Magnus…" She whispered, clutching at the fabric of her dress. Feeling the steady 'thump thump' of her heart as it started to beat again, longing for a man she hadn't seen in so many years.

"Yes…. look you- he never died when you knew him in the mortal plane did he?" Kravitz asked with a scrunched expression.

"Um, no?" Julia said tilting her head. "I'm pretty sure you only get to die once."

The reaper huffed. "Try telling that to him and his companions. Oh well, I'll figure it out… somehow." He sighed. "As much as I'd love to stay and chew the fat- I am afraid I have business to attend to."

"Right um of course." Julia stammered.

The reaper gave a little half bow and gathered himself turning to go.

Julia's heart thumped once, twice.

"Wait!" She called.

Kravitz turned, eyebrow raised. "Yes?"

"If you… if you see him again." Julia said, working past the lump in her throat. "Can you tell him… I love him too? And to take his time! I'll wait."

A long pause of silence held in the air. Then eventually the man gave a very small smile and nodded his head. "Shall I see him again, I'll pass on the message."

He took out his scythe, and with the blade, he gently split a hole into reality, giving a small wave as he disappeared into the inky blackness.

If Julia cried a little that day, there was no one around to see the streaks of tears on her cheeks.

But, that day did fill Julia with a determination. She would wait for Magnus, no matter how long. And she would make sure that when his soul did eventually pass into the next plane, she would be a home for him to return to.

Despite the fact that Julia's father and husband, (late husband?) were both skilled craftsman and lauded carpenters, wood working was not her strong suit.

But, she was determined. And what Julia set out to do, she would do. Whats more she would do it well.

So with that, she had set about building a house. It was slow work, but as she began to build she noticed the essence of the plane changing around her. Trees popping up from the nothingness, casting a protective shadow over her and her creation. Eventually the space around her formed into a little wooded island upon which the beginnings of her cottage sat.

Occasionally, she heard stories.

Most often these came from some who had known Magnus. They would marvel at her last name, 'Burnsides? Wait do you know Magnus Burnsides?!' and ask her about the man she loved. She would tell them, tell them about the fight they fought together for freedom, of the beautiful things he crafted with his hands.

And they in turn, would tell her. Tell her of the brave man who had tired to save them, or who they had come across in the travels. Every story spoke true to Magnus, of his jovial nature, his protective instincts.

She had learned, that he was working with two others. A dwarf and a wizard elf. She had not known either of them in life, but she was happy that Magnus had friends. From the tales of a few they sounded very close.

Kravitz had stopped by again, lamenting over Magnus having now died a total of 32 times. Neither of them knew how the first 19 were possible. But Kravitz had told her what he knew of the more recent deaths, something involving a cup and time in a loop. But it involved Magnus rushing in and helping save the day. So Julia couldn't say she was all too surprised at this point.

But then suddenly, the pattern had changed. What had once been the occasional story became a whirlwind. People sought her out. 'Burnside? You knew Magnus! As in Magnus from the day of story and song?'

He was no longer 'Magnus the Protector' or simply 'Magnus her Husband.' He was 'Magnus the hero!', 'Magnus the alien!', 'Magnus of the seven birds who fought the hunger for over 100 years!' He was now 'Magnus the Legend.'

Something big had happened on the mortal plane. It was an experience shared by every one who arrived on the astral plane from that point onward. They all knew where they had been when they heard the story and song, what they had done in the battle, told stories of the shadows that attacked and the brave heroes who had saved the day.

Julia was not surprised that Magnus was one of them.

(She was however a little surprised that he was evidently an alien who had lived for over 100 years.)

(At least now she knew how he had managed to die so many times when mostly people only did it the once.)

The days passed, turning to months, and then into years.

The first time Kravitz popped by again with an Elf, Julia had been in the garden of her cottage (still under construction, it was after all a big job for just one woman). Her arms had been full of potting supplies as she was prepping what she needed.

"You must be Julia!" A voice called, a little sing songy.

Julia's head snapped up as she saw Kravitz and his new companion stepping through a portal onto her front lawn.

"Yes?" She said. "Can I help you?"

"You know, the big guy doesn't talk a lot about his past, well I say his 'past', really me and the fam _are_ his past, but the past that we weren't there for he doesn't mention a whole lot." The elf babbled on swishing a lock of his cascading light blue hair to sit on his shoulders. "But! He did tell us about you, and so when me and Kravvy here decided to take our vacation on the flip side of mortality, well I couldn't just not come visit! And I have to say- I'm going to give him shit next time, you're much prettier in person."

"Um, thank you?" Julia offered, setting down her planting supplies and dusting off her apron. "Who are you exactly?"

Kravitz gave a bit of a sigh, but his heart didn't seem to be in it and his lips quickly quirked up into a smile. "Julia, this is my boyfriend-"

"Taako! You know, from TV!" The elf smiled.

"Wait you're Taako?" The woman gasped a minute and clapped her hands together. "The one from the stories? You work with Maggy!"

Taako looked at her, and if it was if for just a moment, the over abundance of charm and self assuredness, the show if it all, faded. He smiled and nodded. "Yeah, he's family to me."

And so they sat, they talked for hours. Taako told her of how he first met Magnus over a hundred years ago. They exchanged stories while lounging on the grass while Kravitz quietly munched on some scones she had taken out of the oven.

She told him about the man she married, about the fight they fought together, the last day she saw him before the column fell.

Taako had told her, that for 'reasons' (though he didn't go into detail why) that Magnus had been forced to give up his quest to find the Governor and deliver onto him all that he deserved. But the elf had promised her, that he, and their other companion, a cleric dwarf named Merle ('Well he _says_ he's a cleric but he really never heals us so frankly I have no idea'), would 'take care of it.'

Julia knew what he meant by 'take care of it'.

In a way, she was glad that Magnus's life had turned away from his quest for vengeance. She had wanted him to live a life free from the sorrows of what happened, and now, reunited with his friends and family, the world saved, it seemed like he was doing just that.

The fish was a surprise.

The frame of the house outside was completed, Julia had been working on installing some cabinets in the kitchen when, all of a sudden, a fish had popped into the astral plane.

She had screamed when it had suddenly appeared in front of her with a smattering of water. The fish was suspended in mid air for a moment before it, and the water, cascaded down tot he floor with a splash.

Julia had waisted no time frantically searching for a bowl, a vase, _anything_. Could a fish in the astral plane die again if they didn't have water? This was a question she was not eager to test at that very moment. Eventually she found a cooking pot, filled it with water and scooped the little fish into her hands and deposited him into the basin. She breathed a sigh of relief and watched the little guy swim about in his temporary habitat.

She was not entirely sure why she suddenly had a fish. But if the afterlife had taught her one thing, its that the unexpected happened. And it was really best to just roll with it.

And so she did.

She did eventually get a glass bowl for the fish, who she had yet to really name. But he swam around happily in his new home, and it was a little nice to have some company. Even if said company couldn't talk. Or do much besides float around.

The next time Taako had come by the house he had happily declared "Steven!" as soon as he saw the little guy. "Upgraded your digs from a flask on Magnus's belt I see."

Julia really was not surprised to find out Magnus had named the fish after her father. When she did eventually tell her father, he had let out a deep laugh and decided the fish was part of the family. He was officially dubbed 'Steven Jr.'

The visits with Taako and Kravtiz were rare (after all a mortal really shouldn't be galavanting around the astral plane too often), but pleasant. Taako would update her on what had been going on in the mortal plane (most of his stories were about him though), she would share with him any new cooking recipes she had gotten up to.

He told her about how Magnus had taken up training dogs since the thwarted apocalypse. She thought that was the perfect job for him.

She hoped he was happy.

A decade or so later, when an old dog pops into being in front of her, Julia was not surprised.

She perhaps wishes she had not been the middle of relaxing with some tea when a dog suddenly fell into her lap (she liked that cup too…), but she was not surprised. The Scottish deer hound had simply wagged his tail and looked up at her curiously.

His collar proclaimed he was called Johann. He looked old with little smatterings of gray fur lining his muzzle. But he was clearly happy to see her.

The deer hound wasted no time at all getting comfy on her lap. (Though Julia did eventually move him so she could clean up the spilled tea and remnants of her shattered tea cup).

Years later a second dog had appeared. She had not, thankfully, been drinking tea this time. She had, regrettably, been in the middle of hammering down a plank of wood while atop her ladder. Thankfully neither dog or Julia were harmed in the resulting crash. (Though her butt was certainly sore from taking the brunt of the landing.)

Julia wondered if this was going to become a pattern.

The decades past. Julia was happy with her animal companions, all old and well loved by their master who still resided in the mortal world. It was nice. She no longer slept alone on her large mattress. Instead she spent her nights curled up with the two dogs. And despite their aged appearance they awoke each morning with exuberance.

Julia was not surprised about the dogs. Really, that was par for the course with Magnus. And they were so well trained too! The knew a slew of commands, and were eager to follow her around the house, wagging their tails all the way.

Some afternoons they sat by the front windows, looking out in the astral plane as if they were waiting for their master to come home.

Julia was surprised that it was taking this long. But, it was a happy surprise really.

Magnus had always rushed through life. Quick to throw himself in front of danger to protect some one, or sometimes just because he could.

But now, he was taking his time. Perhaps fighting off the end of the world had mellowed him out.

And, that made her happy.

She was lonely sometimes, sure. And even while she was busy building her cottage, she was always imagining that moment. The moment she would be reunited with her love.

What do you say, to some one you love so deeply, to some one you haven't seen in so long?

She wasn't sure what she would say.

As her hammer came down upon the head of a nail, securing the wood together, she wondered if Magnus would say anything about the joints.

A smile crossed her lips.

She had plenty of time to imagine.

The day he appeared was at first, unremarkable.

She had woken up covered in warm dogs, eventually shooing them off. She had tied up her masses of long curls with a red ribbon, pulling it away from her face so she could work. She donned a simple yellow dress and tied her white apron behind her back.

The house really, was finished. It had been finished for many a year. But, she thought as she gathered up an armful of wood, she had to do something to pass the time.

And today, that would be fixing up the window sills on the second level of the house. She knew she could make them better, maybe add a planter. Yeah, that was what she would do.

The dogs seemed to have realized something before she did. Johann had bound out the front door, nearly knocking her over while she was busy fussing with supplies. She was thankfully she hadn't accidentally swallowed one of the nails she was holding in her mouth when she yelped.

After righting herself she sighed. Dogs. She never knew what set them off. Her best guess was a passing bird.

As she exited the house she didn't notice anything out of the ordinary at first, to busy in her head calculating at what angle she needed to cut the next plank of wood so it would fit just right with the edge of the planter. She propped her ladder upon the wall and mentally ran through a check list to make sure she had everything before she climbed on up.

The dogs yipped once or twice. She took the nails in her hand, ready to reprimand them gently, when she saw him.

Magnus was staring at her.

She stared back.

Her heart beat faster. She set her tools down as a smile spread across her face.

She had waited for this moment, for so long. She took in a deep breath, savoring every millisecond as it felt like time stood still, knowing as soon as she spoke the illusion would be broken. But for a moment, she just wanted to take it all in.

She could feel the tears starting from the corner of her eyes. "You…" she began. She wiped a tear away and shook her head lightly. Her eyes found him again and she couldn't stop from smiling."Lived so much longer than I thought you were going to!"

He smiled. "I know." He said, shrugging his shoulder a little. "I'm sorry I made you wait."

But Julia was already rushing forward. Running into his arms.

Julia had waited a long time for this moment, and she would have waited as long as he needed.

But now, she was done waiting.

Magnus, was home.


End file.
